Saturday, October 14, 2006

When it comes to money, there are lots of things that we wish were true that simply are not. Catherine Williams, VP of financial literacy at Money Management International, shares some of the legends she has heard from clients. All of these ideas have a grain of truth in them, but are largely false:1. You can float a check longer if you write in red ink2. Income tax is illegal3. If you are under 18, you can't be held accountable for a debt4. Your hotel key card encodes your credit card information5. Boycotting a few gasoline brands will bring down gas prices6. It's better if you don't sign the back of your credit card7. You can make a lot of cash by helping a foreigner solve his money problems (also, You can win a lot of money in a lottery you have never entered). 8. You can opt out of having credit bureaus share your information9. If you pay more than the fine on a traffic ticket, and don't cash the refund, you will avoid getting "points" on your license10. Hotel Bibles often have $100 bills tucked in them

Remember, just because your brother's friend's uncle's accountant was the source for the information doesn't mean it's true.

Friday, October 13, 2006

After a long day in front of the computer, does your back ache? is there pain when you move your wrists? MacWorld has some useful guidelines for setting up an ergonomic computer workspace. Get the right chair, set up your computer at the right height and angle and maintain good posture, and you'll feel a lot better.